Lunch Wars
by Lucathia Rykatu
Summary: Lunchtime back in fourth grade was a highly regarded event for Phoenix and the rest. Starring young Nick, Larry, and Edgey. Semisequel to Enemy Territory.


Lunch Wars

by Lucathia

**Disclaimer:** I claim no rights to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and am making no profit from writing this.

**Summary:** Lunchtime back in fourth grade was a highly regarded event for Phoenix and the rest. Starring young Nick, Larry, and Edgey. Semi-sequel to Enemy Territory.

* * *

Lunch in the cafeteria was always a divided event. On one side sat the kids who _bought_ their lunches. Every month, their parents gave them an envelop with lunch money for the entire month enclosed to give to their teachers. This act required great trust between the parents and their kids, for only responsible kids were able handle having so much money all at once. On the other side sat the kids who _brought_ their lunches. Some of the packed lunches were a whole lot better than the school lunches…but this was not always the case.

Phoenix was part of the latter group...he brought his own lunch everyday, or nearly everyday. Sometimes he forgot and had to go hungry for the entire day, unless one of his classmates was nice enough to share. Other times Phoenix forgot his lunch on purpose (but only sometimes!) because he was sick of eating the same sandwich day after day. Though, his plans usually backfired on him because he often ended up with nothing to eat at all.

Being part of the second group meant that Phoenix sat at the table on the right. The two tables were pushed together, but even so, the class was clearly divided down the middle. The two groups almost never intermingled during lunch. That was how strong their loyalties to their own lunch group was!

Today, Phoenix opened his lunch box only to see another squashed sandwich. He sighed in dismay, but when his stomach grumbled, he decided that anything was better than having no food at all. He eyed the other group, wishing at times like these that he was the one with the hot lunches. But even thinking about that made Phoenix feel weird, as he had always been a part of the second group first.

* * *

At the end of lunch, Phoenix followed the other students back to the classroom. Once he was near the classroom, he heard his teacher yell in frustration.

"Who stapled a _Twinkie_ to my wall? That's disgusting!"

The students snickered.

When something smelled, it was usually the Butz.

"But!" protested Larry right on cue. "I'm just testing a rumor. They say Twinkies never rot! Isn't that sooo awesome?" His eyes were shining as he grinned widely, not even once considering how furious the teacher was. Phoenix looked up at the Twinkie that was stapled to the wall...at least it was still in its plastic wrapping. Phoenix entirely agreed with the teacher that having a Twinkie stapled to your wall was kind of disgusting.

The teacher was not amused. She assigned fifty lines to Larry, making him write "I will not staple Twinkies to the classroom wall" over and over again. With Larry off in the corner writing lines, class finally began again.

Class that day focused on a review of multiplication. The teacher gave out very hard questions to the class, stumping everyone except for one person.

Miles Edgeworth sat straight and tall, his hand up in the air, eager to answer.

* * *

Phoenix liked observing people. Take Larry, for example. Phoenix watched him a lot, especially during lunch. Larry was not a very careful person, and that showed with his eating. He, like Phoenix, brought his own lunch. A pack of fruit candy, an apple, a can of soda, and a burrito had been Larry's lunch for the day. Phoenix knew all that because Larry managed to knock over his soda after trying to reach for his apple that had rolled away. Half of the stuffing in Larry's burrito fell out as Larry ate, and he spent most of their lunchtime flicking his fruit candy at the other kids at the table.

Phoenix learned his lesson very quickly. If one wanted to avoid stained pants, it was best to keep on eye on Larry.

The other classmate that Phoenix took to observing was Miles. He was almost an exact opposite of Larry. Whereas Larry was loud and rambunctious, Miles was quiet and calm. Phoenix could tell that he was very distant from everyone else. Miles was part of the "other" lunch group, so Phoenix didn't really get much of a chance to talk with the other boy. Sometimes, he watched Miles stand in line with the other people in their class, waiting to get their lunches from the lunch lady. Miles, though he was quiet and didn't mess around rowdily with the other kids, actually stood out more than anyone else. It was the clothes, decided Phoenix. They were so stiffly formal.

He started watching Miles in class too. Miles sat near the front of the classroom where Phoenix could easily see him without turning his head much. It was in the classroom that Miles really shone. He almost always knew the answer, and he wasn't afraid to let everyone know that he knew. He was arrogant. He was proud. He was unlike any other fourth grader that Phoenix knew.

* * *

"I...I didn't do it!"

When Phoenix found himself cornered by his classmates, accusing fingers pointing at him for "stealing Miles's lunch money," Phoenix panicked. He had not even known that today was the day they were supposed to bring their lunch money for the month. Phoenix wasn't part of that lunch group! But he hadn't been at recess, and that alone was enough for the whole class and even the teacher to accuse him. He couldn't think straight. Why did everyone think he did it? Did Miles think that way too?

Had he really done something wrong without even knowing it?

Phoenix gave up all hope. He cried and he sniffled. He went over to apologize. That was when help came from the last person he expected.

Miles.

Miles's slammed book brought everyone's attention to him. Miles's pointing finger challenged everyone's accusations. Mile's tall stance reeked of confidence. Last but not least, Mile's sharp words showed everyone how stupid they were being.

"OBJECTION!" he yelled. "He shouldn't have to apologize! The only thing that belongs in this trial is evidence!"

His words were met with disbelief, for it was Miles's money that had been stolen, and yet, why was he the one standing up for Phoenix?

Miles, however, stood strong by his own beliefs. He saw no one as guilty unless there was proof. He even told Phoenix as much. Phoenix's tears stopped when he realized that Miles _trusted_ him, trusted his words. Phoenix had said that he didn't do it. Miles took his word for it.

When the class continued shouting in disbelief, another voice piped in.

"Why don't you all just shut up?"

That voice belonged to Larry, the boy Phoenix had always been somewhat wary of. In Larry, Phoenix found his second supporter. Larry's support was very different from Miles's. Whereas Miles stood straight and tall, Larry slouched back in his seat with his legs propped up in front of him.

"Just think how he feels! He says he didn't do it, so he didn't do it!"

However, as Larry was always the troublemaker, having words as serious as these come from him might've been even more effective than Miles's attempt at convincing the class of Phoenix's innocence.

When the class settled down, Miles pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over to Phoenix.

"Here, wipe your face. You look horrible."

Phoenix sniffled one last sniffle and took the offered handkerchief, absentmindedly noting how soft the material was...and also wondering just who in the world carried handkerchiefs nowadays. Nonetheless, Phoenix wiped his face clumsily but stopped before blowing his nose with it. Wouldn't that be kind of nasty? Phoenix would rather use tissue instead.

He sniffled and glanced down at the now dirty handkerchief. "Er, thanks Miles."

Miles just looked at him.

"For um, standing up for me. Believing me," said Phoenix, feeling more and more sheepish as he talked. He then held up the dirty handkerchief embarrassingly. "And for this too."

Miles shrugged. "I was doing what was right." His hand came to rest on the book he had slammed down. It was the book Miles always lugged around with him, the book about courts and laws and stuff that was so hard to understand and had a super small font. But, Phoenix had seen Miles put it all to use today, and having Miles defend him had felt so good.

Phoenix suddenly knew that he wanted to be like Miles.

* * *

That day at lunch, Phoenix sat down next to Larry.

"Hey, thanks for standing up for me today," said Phoenix, somehow able to get his words across better with Larry.

Larry grinned, his mouth full of hot dog. "No problem!"

Phoenix smiled contently, for although today had been a miserable day for him, he had gotten a friend out of it!

When Phoenix saw Miles enter the cafeteria, hesitating about what to do, Phoenix quickly waved him over. Phoenix glanced down at his smashed sandwich. Any food was better than no food, right?

Phoenix ripped his sandwich in half and handed one half to Miles.

Phoenix could swear that Miles blanched at the sandwich, but the other boy ended up accepting the offering anyways. He swung his legs over the benches to sit next to Phoenix. It was then that Phoenix realized that he had gotten more than one friend out of his miserable day!

The loud chatter in the cafeteria continued without a hitch...even though Miles had crossed that invisible boundary between the two groups.

He had made it look so easy too.

* * *

**the end**


End file.
